Meet Tethys, one of MBARI’s long range autonomous underwater vehicles (LRAUV). In contrast to other AUVs or gliders, Tethys has an ultimate range and battery life of up to 2,000 kilometers, significantly extending the reach of MBARI’s shore-launched AUVs. The range and endurance of these LRAUVs greatly expands the types of observations and experiments possible with autonomous platforms.
The key to Tethys’ longevity is power management and the ability to operate sensors only when necessary, or not at all. The vehicle’s microprocessor can also be “throttled down” to low clock speeds which reduces power consumption while drifting or moving at slower speeds. The design of the Tethys ingeniously utilizes different strategies to maximize battery life. Engineers used a low-drag body shape, with minimal appendages, to reduce the amount of effort needed to propel the vehicle through water. They also incorporated a custom propeller design and gearless propulsion motor to optimize efficiency during low-speed operations. All of these elements combined make the Tethys a champion of long distance oceanic missions.
#AUV#TethysAUV#autonomousunderwatervehicle#autonomousvehicle#autonomousrobot#oceanrobot#MarineOperations#MBARI#ResearchVessel#Marinetechnology#ocean#oceantech#oceanography#oceanscience#oceandata#MossLanding#MontereyBay

Gas and mud and volcanoes, oh my!
In the fall of 2017 while surveying geologic features in the deep sea off Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, researchers observed bursts of gas emanating from the seafloor near the top of a large mud volcano around 425 meters (1394 feet) deep.
Mud volcanoes form when methane gas and highly fluidized mud bubbles make their way up from more than one kilometer (3280 feet) beneath the seafloor. MBARI’s MiniROV captured video footage of large methane gas bubbles bursting out of the muddy seafloor. These gas bubbles disturb and propel clumps of mud approximately one meter (3 feet) into the water column. The mud then settles on the seafloor and accumulates over time creating large mounds.
Many mud volcanoes have been identified all over the world including offshore the United States. Some scientist even think there may be a few on Mars.
#seafloor#mudvolcano#volcano#underwatervolcano#deepseafloor#deepsea#ocean#ROV#underwatervideo#MiniROV#geology#sediment#sedimentology#methane#methanegas#oceangeology#geologyrocks#MBARI

Who wins the prize for one of the longest animals in the world? It’s this guy—the giant siphonophore, Praya dubia. .
At almost 40 meters long, it rivals other lengthy creatures like blue whales that can measure up to 30 meters, and lion’s mane jellies whose tentacles reach over 35 meters. This picture shows the two nectophores (swimming bells) on the left side and a fragment of the long chain which it pulls through the water. Traditionally, scientists studied deep-sea animals by dragging a trawl net through the water, but delicate animals like Praya come up in hundreds of pieces in the net. Exploring the deep midwater with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) gives us an opportunity to see what these animals look like intact in their natural habitat. .
#siphonophore#jellies#gelata#gelatinouszooplankton#ROV#cnidaria#deepsealife#deepsea#ocean#oceanlife#sealife#midwater#pelagic#plankton#mesopelagic#MBARI#underwaterphotography#marinebiology

Ocean Trilogy, a collaboration between SpectorDance and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, is a multidisciplinary performance and educational program…

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Leah Luchsinger Seaside High school freshman physical science do a semester long study on how to improve human impact on the ocean. Their end products our an underwater ROV and tools to collect data from the ocean and a mini purposal for a scientific investigation of the ocean. This program would be amazing at inspiring them and getting them to look at the problem in a different way. Where can I get more information on how to work with you? Keep up the amazing work.

Counting fish in the ocean isn’t easy—particularly when they swim among jagged rocks and along undersea cliffs. To help, @MBARI_News has developed a new camera system called the Benthic Observation Survey System, or BOSS. https://t.co/fvYlGjo2bS

We are working with the amazing @KakaniKatija & the VARS team at @MBARI_News, as well as Ben Woodward from CVisionAI on the image recognition project, and getting great results. Stay tuned for more!! https://t.co/p9yDwbdRws

Research programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) encompass the entire ocean, from the surface waters to the deep seafloor, and from the coastal zone to the open sea. The need to understand the ocean in all its complexity and variability drives MBARI's research and development efforts.